Ultra low sulfur diesel vehicles

Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is diesel fuel with 15 parts per million (ppm) or lower sulfur content. This ultra-low sulfur content enables use of advanced emission control technologies on light dury and heavy0duty diesel vehicles. Most highway diesel fuel refined in or imported into the United States is required to be ULSD as of 2006.

Petroleum-based ULSD is not considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), but most ULSD fuels produced from non-petroleum and renewable sources are considered EPAct alternative fuels.

Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is diesel fuel with 15 parts per million (ppm) or lower sulfur content. U.S Environmental Protection Agency requires 80% of the highway diesel fuel refined in or imported into the United States (100% in California) to be ULSD as of 2006. One hundred percent must be ULSD nationwide by 2010. Different requirements apply to non-highway diesel.

Currently, the vast majority of ULSD is produced from petroleum. However, biodiesel, biomass-tp-liquids, coal-to-liquids, and gas-to-liquids diesel diesel; and hydrogeneration-derived-renewable diesel are inherently ultra-low sulfur fuels and could help meet ULSD requirements in the future. Petroleum-based ULSD is not considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), but most ULSD fuels produced from non-petroleum and renewable sources are considered EPAct alternative fuels.

Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel as a Vehicle Fuel

Ultra-low sulfur content in diesel fuel is beneficial because it enables use of advanced emission control technologies on light-duty and heavy-duty diesel vehicles. The combination of ULSD with advanced emission control technologies is sometimes called Clean Diesel.

Nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM) are the two most harmful diesel pollutant emissions. These emissions can be controlled with the use of catalytic converters (for NO_x) and particulate traps (for PM). However, sulfur—in amounts that used to be allowable in diesel fuel—deactivates these devices and nullifies their emissions control benefits. Using ULSD enables these devices to work properly.

In general, ULSD should cause no noticeable impact on vehicle performance, although fuel economy might be slightly reduced because the process that produces ULSD can also reduce the fuel’s energy content. Removing sulfur from diesel reduces lubricity. This issue can be resolved by the addition of additives prior to retail sale that increase lubricity. In addition, blending biodiesel with ULSD also increases lubricity.

Using ULSD in older diesel vehicles might affect fuel system components or loosen deposits in fuel tanks. These vehicles should be monitored closely for fuel system problems and premature fuel filter plugging during the transition to ULSD. New vehicles designed to use ULSD must never be fueled with a higher-sulfur fuel. If kerosene is blended with ULSD for improved cold-weather performance, it must be ultra-low sulfur (15 ppm or lower) kerosene. New engine oils have been developed for use with new diesel vehicles fueled with ULSD.

Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Benefits

Although petroleum-based ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is not an alternative fuel, it provides important environmental and fuel-saving benefits. ULSD produced from non-petroleum and renewable sources is even more advantageous. The following are benefits of ULSD:

• Ultra-low sulfur diesel enables use of advanced emission control technologies on light-duty and heavy-dutry diesel vehicles.
  • ULSD enables use of catalytic converters and particulate traps that nearly eliminate emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM), pollutants that are linked to serious health problems.
  • Emission reductions from use of Clean Diesel (ULSD combined with advanced emission control technologies) will be equivalent to removing the pollution from more than 90% of today’s trucks and buses, when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet has been completely replaced in 2030.
  • ULSD will enable light-duty diesel vehicles to meet the same strict emissions standards as light-duty gasoline vehicles.
• Diesel engines are 20-40% more efficient than comparable gasoline engines.
  • The availability of low-emission light-duty diesel cars and trucks fueled with ULSD is likely to put more diesel vehicles on the road.
  • Replacing some gasoline vehicles with diesel vehicles will result in reduced U.S. petroleum fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Ultra-low sulfur diesel uses existing fueling infrastructure and works with existing engine and vehicle technologies.
• Inherently ultra-low sulfur biodiesel, biomass-to-liquids diesel, coal-to-liquids diesel, gas-to-liquids diesel, and hydrogeneration-derived renewable diesel provide additional environmental, energy security, and economic benefits.

For more about the benefits of ULSD, visit the Diesel Technology Forum and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Clean Diesel Campaign, which includes a Diesel Emissions Quantifier that estimates emission-reduction benefits of fleet ULSD use.

Light duty diesel vehicles

Light-Duty Diesel Vehicles

Although light-duty diesel vehicles are not technically “alternative fuel vehicles,” they can run on biodiesel, an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Biodiesel, which is mainly used as a blend, can be used in most light-duty diesel vehicles with no engine modification. The most common biodiesel blend is B20, which is 20% biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel. B5 (5% biodiesel, 95% diesel) is also commonly used in fleets. To learn more about this fuel, go to the Biodiesel section or the Alternative Fueling Station Locator.

Light-duty vehicles are those that have less than a 8,500 lbs gross vehicle weight rating. They include sedans, pickup trucks, high-performance sports cars, and passenger vans. For a list of available options, see the Diesel Technology Forum Web site.

Emissions

Currently most light-duty diesel vehicles are equipped with oxidation catalysts that reduce carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, and many have particulate matter (PM) traps that reduce PM emissions as well as CO, and HC emissions. In combination these devices can decrease CO by 80%, HC by 90% and PM by 98%.

Oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) emission are mostly controlled through advanced combustion strategies, such as, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). In order to meet future emission standards emission control devices, such as, lean NO_x traps (LNT) or selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which uses ammonia in the form of urea as a reductant, may be needed on some vehicles to meet these emission standards. These devices can reduce NO_x by 70-80%.

Clean Diesel

Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD)—which is called “clean diesel” when used in conjunction with advanced emission control devices—is available at fueling stations nationwide and can be used in any diesel vehicle. This fuel reduces the sulfur content in diesel fuel by 97%. Europe has used ULSD for several years. The United States began its changeover to ULSD in June 2006, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated that 80% of highway diesel fuel produced or imported contain 15 ppm or less sulfur. For more information, see the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance.

The Federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Tax Credit provision of EPAct 2005 includes a tax credit for lean-burn diesel vehicles. The credit is sometimes referred to as the Clean Diesel Tax Credit and is effective January 1, 2006, however, no 2006 or 2007 diesel vehicles met the emissions requirements for credit. No 2008 vehicles have been certified as qualifying for the credit. Diesel vehicles up to 6,000 lbs that meet EPA Tier II Bin 5 emission requirements will be eligible for the credit and diesel vehicles weighing 6,001-8,500 lbs must meet Tier II Bin 8 requirements. Manufacturers will certify that their vehicles meet the emissions requirements with EPA. The IRS must then issue a notice that the vehicle qualifies for the tax credit before consumers or commercial businesses can claim the credit. There are other IRS requirements to claim the credit. Watch www.irs.gov for more information.

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